Chashni or sweet sugar syrup envelopes our favourite desserts like rasgullas and gulab jamuns. We all can testify to have dreamed about drinking this sugary deliciousness, straight from the bowl. But the watchful eyes of our mothers would discourage us from doing so. Chashni is simple sugar syrup made by heating water and processed sugar together, until it turns into a thick liquid that is then used to coat a number of different desi sweets. Sometimes it is flavoured with some saffron and cardamom powder. This sugar syrup is absorbed by the sweets and gives them the deliciously rich taste that Indian sweets are known for.
When we buy sweets from any halwai or sweet shop, they usually come seeped in a lot of chashni. Although we usually finish the sweets, the sugar syrup is typically left behind. Ultimately, this sugar syrup gets thrown out or is found languishing in a box, at the back of our refrigerators. But there are actually a number of ways of utilising this leftover chashni from your store-bought sweets.
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Here are some ways to use or re-fashion your leftover chashni in delicious homemade sweets:
1. Malpua
You can dip your homemade malpua in this leftover chashni. Malpuas are flat, sweet pancakes that are made from refined flour and semolina. The batter is then poured in the form of thick rounds in hot ghee and is fried to a golden brown and crisp finish. These are then dipped for a couple of hours in sugar syrup. Here's a malpua recipe that you can try at home.
Use leftover chashni to make malpua
2. Shahi Tukda
The best dessert you can utilise your sugar syrup with is the shahi tukda that is extremely easy-to-make. A popular homemade version uses bread pieces that are deep-fried until golden and then dipped in the chashni. They are served cold, topped with thick rabri, which is a reduction of full-fat milk. Here's a shahi tukda recipe you can try.
3. Sweet Rice
You can also use chashni to prepare sweet rice or zarda pulao. All you have to do is add soaked rice in the sugar syrup and cook it for some time. You can add nuts and spices as well as rose water to make it more flavourful. Here's a recipe of sweet rice or zarda pulao that you can try.
4. Fruit Bowl
You can simply drizzle this sugar syrup over assorted fruits to get a delectable and healthy dessert. You can use it on fruits like mangoes, kiwis, pears, strawberries etc. You can also dip these fruits in the sugar syrup and then use them to decorate cakes and cupcakes.
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5. Amla Murabba
Pickled amla or amla murabba is a healthy sweet that is consumed in a number of Indian homes. The recipe requires you to soak the pickled and cooked amla or Indian gooseberries in sugar syrup, which is made from scratch. Using leftover sugar syrup can save you that effort and reduce wastage as well. Here is an amla murabba recipe you'll love.
When it comes to experimenting with sugar syrup, the sky is the limit. You can make any number of desi sweets at home and use your leftover sugar syrup with it.